Saturday, June 11, 2011

Our eating, meal plans and grocery shopping have gone to pot (yes I am apparently old) since having the baby. It’s normal right? That’s why everyone you have ever meet offers to bring you a meal after you have a baby? Well here we are with a not so new baby (how has is been 4 months?) and we feel like we are in a rut of not shopping, not planning, eating bad, boring, same, dinners. Lather, rinse, repeat.

We need to change because it’s effecting our moods and it’s making our picky eater pickier. We are literally having daily meltdowns for macaroni and cheese. We are desperate for change so we have decided to embark on a crazy challenge.

I don’t hide my love for Everyday Food Magazine we have had a subscription since it came out (see picture above - note that's old, the shelf is packed full now!).

I also clip recipes obsessively and have a book shelf overflowing with clippings.

I have been on a purging and organizing kick and these shelves are on the list. I bought a binder and I want to make a nice organized recipe book that we will actually use. Step 1 is going through our recipes!

This is our plan:- Once a week sit down with the oldest of the current months issue (so this week it’s May/June 2003) and plan our menu
- make at least 80% of our dinners from the book
- try at least 1 dessert, 1 snack and 1 side
- continue until we have made every recipe (sans allergies) in the book

It’s a desperate attempt to break out of a rut but we’ll see how we do...I predict tears from the picky eater (and probably from me as I lack kitchen skills!) but at least it will provide blog fodder right? I also plan on trying to be the one doing the majority of the cooking. I want to get better at it and I want to give my husband a break (so he can work on some bigger house projects!). Things you should know, I'm scared of cooking meat...so this adds a level of crazy. I also have had to feed the baby smack in the middle of dinner every night this week...so, let's up that to insane!

Here is our plan for this week:

Sunday: Sauteed Chicken in Mustard Cream Sauce with Steamed Asparagus
- Notes: not having a carby side is hard for us, we will have a baguette. I predict it;s the only thing the pick eater will eat.

Monday: Vegetable Lasagna
- Yes it's June. But today's high was 55. So Lasagna it is.

Desserts: Lemon Pie with Pecan Crumb Crust
- Notes: Hubs is allergic to Pecans and since I want to keep him around I will be altering this recipe.

Snacks: Since summer started my kids are constantly asking to eat. I want to try to prep on Sunday to have more healthy snacks readily available for them to grab. We are also having a happy hour playdate at our house on Friday that I want to have something new for.

Finally, the insatiable appetite of the 6 year old also means I am gong to try (gasp!) to make him one hot breakfast a week. He s on an oatmeal kick this week so we are going to try the Strawberry Oatmeal (sand sour cream)

I am excited and nervous all in one to see how this week goes. Hopefully we this is the motivation we need to break out of our rut!

The small images that line the left are all from EverydayFoodMag.com and are in order of the meals. Hopefully I remember to take pictures of my own as the week goes on!

I couldn't survive without a meal plan. I only do dinners, but we've fallen into a lunch rut lately. Grilled cheese, PBJ and yogurt/fruit combo. I'm attempting to mix up our lunch menu (and share recipes) since my son has been more adventurous in his food choices lately.